Just a few days after mentioning the plethora of Mexican restaurants in the Valley, I received a little insight as to why that is.
With more than 38,000 Mexican restaurants in America and some $1.6 billion spent on tacos, enchiladas, fajitas and the like, Mexican food is now the third-most consumed cuisine in the U.S., trailing only American (we still favor our burgers and dogs) and Italian.
So why is Mexican food so popular?
Some say it's because the Latin population has grown so much, with Hispanics now making up more than half of the U.S., according to the latest census figures. Others credit the casual, fun atmosphere of most Mexican restaurants, while some cite their kid-friendly and relatively low-cost options.
As a father of three always-hungry boys, I can certainly vouch for those last two. But if you ask me, this cuisine's growing appeal is much simpler to explain.
Almost everything on most Mexican menus features some combination of meat, cheese and bread (in the form of tortillas) with the occasional token vegetable thrown in. Add a frosty cerveza or salt-rimmed margarita on the side and what's not to like?
When it comes to Mexican food on a national stage, few do it better than Chef Rick Bayless. I've shared a few favorite recipes this week from his popular Frontera Grill in Chicago. I had the pleasure of dining there years ago and dream of it still.
Featuring the creamy, full-flavored, dark malty richness of Negra Modela beer, this Bacon & Beer Queso Fundido, Smoky Chipotle Meatballs, Grilled Skirt Steak Tacos and Guacamole with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Roasted Corn are worth a fiesta indeed.
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Speaking of Mexican restaurants, a few weeks ago I gave a less-than-stellar review of Kanawha City's new Plaza Maya. It's not a bad spot, by any stretch, I just wasn't overly impressed with the food on a handful of occasions before I put pen to paper, so to speak.
But in the interest of full discloser, a group of Daily Mail veterans recently invited me to lunch there. (I know, I know. How could such a young sport like me be in a club of retirees and other self-proclaimed "old-timers?") In any event, my chile relleno was tasty and most others were equally pleased with their dishes.
The spinach quesadilla across the table looked especially good and I caught myself staring multiple times at the gigantic burrito to my left.
Just thought it fair to say we had a nice visit - and meal.
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In case you missed the news last week ...
Charleston's Ichiban pan-Asian restaurant and adjacent Bar 101 are celebrating their 10th anniversary with dinner and drink specials all week, including a free appetizer at Ichiban to all customers purchasing two entrees. For the actual anniversary date Saturday night, all guests who dine in will receive free dessert.
"When we purchased these buildings out of foreclosure in 2004, we were excited for the opportunity to be a part of a newer, more exciting downtown Charleston," said Laura Miller, who owns both places with husband, Scott. "We've been overwhelmed by the support of the community in our 10 years in business and feel privileged to be a part of revitalization Capitol Street has seen over the years."
Scott adds: "This is a very special time for me, because next year marks 30 years for me personally as an entrepreneur on Capitol Street."
I know there's a lot of worthy buzz about newer restaurants popping up around town, but I hope folks don't forget about this gem on the corner of Capitol and Virginia streets. Ten years in, it's still one of my favorite places to dine out.
For more information, call 304-720-7874 or visit www.IchibanRestaurantsCharlestonWV.com.
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Daily Mail. He can be reached at 304-348-1721 or by email at dailymailfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook and Pinterest as "DailyMail FoodGuy," on Twitter as "DMFoodGuy" or read his blog at http://blogs.charlestondailymail.com/foodguy.
Bacon & Beer Queso Fundido
3 strips thick-sliced bacon
1 small red onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper - stemmed, seeded, finely chopped
1/4 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup Negra Modelo beer
8 oz. Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Warm corn or flour tortillas or tortilla chips
Frontera Jalapeno Cilantro Salsa for topping
1. Cook bacon in non-stick skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove bacon, cool and then crumble and set aside.
2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the pan. Set the pan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook and stir until golden, about 6 minutes. Add jalapeno and sun-dried tomatoes; cook until chile softens, about 1 minute. Add beer; cook and stir until evaporated, about 2 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the onion mixture. Stir slowly and constantly until just melted, usually 2 minutes. Immediately scoop into a warm serving dish. Sprinkle with bacon and cilantro.
4. Serve in warm tortillas or on tortilla chips topped with salsa.
Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer.
Smokey Chipotle Meatballs
3 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 cups Panko-style breadcrumbs
3 eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano
3/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 jar of Frontera Chipotle Salsa
1 bottle of Negra Modelo beer
1 20-oz. can of tomato puree
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1. Mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, cilantro, mint, salt, oregano and black pepper together in a large bowl until well incorporated. Form the meat mixture into balls, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
2. Bake the meatballs about 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees on two foil-lined baking sheets until nicely browned and fully cooked.
3. Combine the salsa, beer, tomato puree, dark brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt in a slow cooker and turn on low. Add in all the meatballs.
4. Once hot, the meatballs are ready to serve and can be held in the slow cooker on low for 3 to 4 hours. Serve individually with toothpicks or let guests help themselves with a spoon.
Makes approximately 100 meatballs.
Grilled Skirt Steak Tacos
1 1/4 lbs. trimmed beef skirt steak
1 jar (16 oz.) Frontera Chipotle Salsa or Frontera Roasted Tomato Salsa
1/2 cup Negra Modelo beer
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
salt
2 medium white onions, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
vegetable oil
chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges
12 fresh, warm tortillas
1. Cut steak into 4- or 5-inch portions. Mix 1/2 cup of the salsa, the beer, garlic, lime juice, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large zippered bag. Add the steak. Close the bag tightly and turn gently to coat the steak. Refrigerate 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
2. Heat a gas grill to medium-high or light a charcoal fire. Brush or spray the onion slices with vegetable oil. Grill onions over a cooler section of the grill, turning carefully until softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.
3. Remove the steak from the marinade (discard the marinade). Oil the steak well on both sides and lay it over the hottest part of the grill. Grill, turning once, until richly browned and done to your liking, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side for medium-rare.